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Please join us for the Hawai‘i premiere of “A Towering Task,” followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Alana DeJoseph.
At the height of the Cold War, the United States chartered the Peace Corps, an ambitious initiative to extend US influence through international service. The program, which John F. Kennedy hoped would play a vital role in the “towering task” of development, has carried on for 62 years, dispatching more than 240,000 Americans to serve in 143 countries, from Armenia to Vanuatu.
Alana DeJoseph’s award-winning film examines the Peace Corps’ full legacy—its successes and short comings—from its creation at the apex of American empire to its uncertainty amidst American retreat. She asks, what role has the Peace Corps played in the world and in American society—and what role should it play in the future?
Alana DeJoseph, herself a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Mali, 1992-1994), has worked in film and video production for over 40 years. She premiered “A Towering Task” at Kennedy Theater in Washington, DC in 2019. This is her first feature documentary, and it has won numerous awards.
The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series is a joint venture of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Series sponsors include the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Scholars Strategy Network, and the Ulupono Initiative.
Event co-sponsors include the East-West Center and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawai‘i.
The views expressed are those of the filmmaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.
Please join us for the Hawai‘i premiere of “A Towering Task,” followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Alana DeJoseph.
At the height of the Cold War, the United States chartered the Peace Corps, an ambitious initiative to extend US influence through international service. The program, which John F. Kennedy hoped would play a vital role in the “towering task” of development, has carried on for 62 years, dispatching more than 240,000 Americans to serve in 143 countries, from Armenia to Vanuatu.
Alana DeJoseph’s award-winning film examines the Peace Corps’ full legacy—its successes and short comings—from its creation at the apex of American empire to its uncertainty amidst American retreat. She asks, what role has the Peace Corps played in the world and in American society—and what role should it play in the future?
Alana DeJoseph, herself a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Mali, 1992-1994), has worked in film and video production for over 40 years. She premiered “A Towering Task” at Kennedy Theater in Washington, DC in 2019. This is her first feature documentary, and it has won numerous awards.
The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series is a joint venture of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Series sponsors include the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Scholars Strategy Network, and the Ulupono Initiative.
Event co-sponsors include the East-West Center and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Hawai‘i.
The views expressed are those of the filmmaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.
